Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – "A Mother’s Fight (PART 2): Searching Every Day for Her Missing Daughter"

Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Lauren LaRosa (Latest with Lauren LaRosa on The Black Effect Podcast Network), with guest Lavette Bryce (mother of missing child, August/Aisha)
Focus: The urgent, deeply personal fight of a Black mother searching for her missing daughter, and the wider issue of missing Black youth in America.

Overview

This emotional episode centers on Lavette Bryce, a mother from Wilmington, Delaware, who has been relentlessly searching for her missing daughter, August (also known as Aisha), for over a month. Lauren LaRosa leads the discussion, using her platform to highlight the racial disparities in missing persons cases—including media coverage, law enforcement response, and community action. The episode not only details Lavette's fight but also addresses the broader crisis of missing Black children and the failing systems meant to protect them.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. The Crisis of Missing Black Children in America

• Statistical Disparities:
  • According to blackandmissinginc.com, 563,000+ people were reported missing in the US in 2023; 40% are persons of color, despite Black people making up only 13% of the population ([07:40]).
  • "Not every case gets media widespread attention. But the coverage of white and minority victims are far from proportionate." – Lauren LaRosa ([07:52]).
• Misclassification and Media Neglect:
  • Black and brown children are often labeled as runaways and don’t receive Amber Alerts; minority adults are frequently assumed to be involved in criminal activity ([07:58]).
  • There's desensitization toward missing minority children, with an assumption that exposure to crime is more normal in their lives, resulting in less urgency.

2. Lavette Bryce’s Story & Struggle

• A Mother’s Determination:
  • Lavette details her daily commitment: distributing flyers, knocking door-to-door, chasing every lead—"I'm outside every day, all day. I'm spending every dime I got giving out flyers." – Lavette Bryce ([09:24]).
• Obstruction and Negligence by Authorities:
  • Disputes with police over improper handling of her daughter’s case, including incorrect information placed in the missing report, and delays in the investigation ([09:25], [27:31]).
  • "I'm doing your job. I've been doing your job for the last month." – Lavette Bryce ([10:56]).

3. Institutional Failures and Broken Systems

• Failure to File Proper Report:
  • Incorrect descriptors (labeling August as "bald with brown eyes"), misclassifying her as a runaway, omitting information on her mental health and appearance.
  • Lavette herself had to ensure the police fixed the database record and involved the mayor to get necessary updates ([27:31]–[29:01]).
• Lack of Accountability:
  • No repercussions for the officers responsible for the errors; systemic issues create additional barriers for desperate families ([30:31]).

4. The Broader Community and Collective Responsibility

• Beyond One Family:
  • Lavette emphasizes this is not just about her daughter, recognizing similar pain across the city and nation. "If we find one, we might find all of them. And it's too many of them missing." ([21:27]).
• Community Grassroots Efforts:
  • Mutual aid among mothers, vigilance on social media and Facebook groups (e.g., "Unsolved" on Facebook, run by Jackie Canard), and the circulation of flyers are primary methods of amplifying attention ([25:25]).
• Instructions for the Public:
  • If August is seen, notify the police and, if possible, keep her in sight; she may only trust people if they mention her mother or Aunt Crystal ([19:45]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Lavette’s Raw Emotion & Critique of Authorities

• "They made it so easy for people to get on and off the highway from our kids...But y’all are not patrolling these areas. Y’all, like, you never know, you could be riding past a person screaming in the car right next to you, right next to you, and nobody’s paying attention." – Lavette Bryce ([16:33])
• "You put my daughter in as bald head with brown eyes...She’s not in my house. You’re not doing a—like, literally leave." – Lavette Bryce ([09:56], [09:44])
• "Nobody’s going to do it like you. And you know, if I stop, then everybody stops, you know, and I’m not going to stop because I don’t want nobody stop. I want everybody to remember all these girls faces." – Lavette Bryce ([21:27])

The Mother-Daughter Bond

• "My message to you is that I love you. You know I am coming for you...You just got to give me a sign and be strong and hold on and fight. Please fight." – Lavette Bryce, direct message to August ([15:17])

Community Call-to-Action

• "It's not just her and her family’s problem. This is our problem. This is not just her and her family's problem. This is our problem problem." – Lauren LaRosa ([07:13])
• "If it don’t look right, it’s not right. You need to take a picture." – Lavette Bryce ([25:19])

Key Sections & Timestamps

• Statistics and Underreporting
  [07:40] – [08:21]
  Lauren contextualizes the statistics, causes of underreporting, and media bias.

• Lavette’s Confrontation with Police
  [09:11] – [11:02]
  Candid audio from Lavette’s interactions with officers, highlighting frustration and mismanagement.

• Mother’s Message to Missing Daughter
  [15:08] – [15:37]
  Lavette speaks directly to August with hope and urgency.

• Breakdown of Law Enforcement Failures
  [27:30] – [29:01]
  Lavette details everything wrong with the official police report and her exhausting efforts to fix it.

• Instructions for the Public
  [19:45] – [21:04]
  Guidance on approaching August and working with authorities.

• Community Outreach, Flyers, and Networks
  [25:25] – [27:10]
  Lavette describes grassroots platforms and collaboration among families.

Conclusion & Final Plea

Lavette closes with an impassioned call for help:

"If you see her, if you see anything, any signs...contact me...I’m coming behind mine. Please help me bring my baby home. Please help me bring all the babies...Every last one of them." ([33:05]–[34:49])

Lauren LaRosa reiterates her platform is open and will continue to support Lavette and other families.

How to Help

• If you have information:
  Contact Lavette Bryce directly: 302-367-037 (or her uncle: 215-252-2425) ([33:02], [33:05]).
• Follow and share updates:
  Lavette is active on social platforms as "Lovey."
• Support awareness:
  Share flyers, join Facebook groups (such as "Unsolved"), and stay vigilant.
• Amplify the issue:
  Demand accountability from authorities and equal media attention for all missing persons cases.

Key Takeaways

• This episode exposes the intersection of personal anguish and systemic failure.
• Lavette's story is a window into the crisis affecting thousands of Black families in America.
• Community effort and vigilance are absolutely necessary, but institutional reform is urgent and overdue.

"If we find one, we might find all of them. And it's too many of them missing." – Lavette Bryce ([21:27])

This summary was created to provide a comprehensive overview of the episode's key content, omitting advertisements and non-content sections for clarity and focus.